Cut-down Contender Barrel

[Quarryman]

Hi folks..

I've been thinking about getting a Contender SS .44 Mag bull barrel cut down to a short, non-standard length so I can set it up with iron sights and shoot it like a regular pistol (no rest) at 25 and 50 yards.

I'd consider going as short as 6" or so. The idea is to use the factory sights on the rear and have the shortened barrel re-drilled for the factory front sight. I want to make sure the barrel is long enough to extend past the shortest factory forend and to provide a decent sight plane.

I'm not trying to turn this into a fancy-schmancy custom pistol; just a good usable gun that's a decent shooter.

Has anyone had experience with such a configuration? Can you give me a guideline as to the best length? Pictures would be a tremendous help.

TIA for all constructive input...

[Dezynco]

Shouldn't be any problem for you, you can even order barrels from folks like MGM and Bullberry that are already set up like you described.  You may need to order a custom forearm or cut one of your wooden ones down a bit to accomodate the 6" barrel.  That's what I did for my 8" barrels, I just cut the forearm about 1" then reshaped and refinished it.  The forearm is now about 1/4" shorter than the barrel.  Looks like a derringer now!

Since you're talking about a 6" barrel, you might want to use a 1-screw forearm, which will only be about 4" long.  If you're using a G2 frame, you can find some of the old original forearms and modify them to fit the G2.  You just use a coping saw or a hacksaw to open up the notch where the forearm clears the front of the frame - the area right in between the "ears" of the forearm.  Takes a couple of minutes, then rub a little tung oil into the modified area to seal it up.

[Quarryman]

Dezynco, thanks for your comments.  I suppose I ought to look at the price of a new custom barrel before I buy a used one and have it cut down.

The forearm is the problem area. My Contender is a stainless model with rubber grips. I'm looking at the T/C 7637 forearm in the catalog, and it appears to be shorter than my standard factory forearm (a 7649, I think). But I can't tell if it's short enough for my purposes. Your suggestion of a one-screw attachment is good, as long as it's durable under recoil. I'll have to look into that.

I need to look more closely at the measurements on my existing barrel and figure out what would be involved in shortening it beyond the 8" mark.  I'm surprised that you had to cut down the forearm to accommodate that length, but there it is. Knowing that, I'll have to judge the practicality of going even shorter.

Thanks again...

[Junior1942]

I bet MGM can build you a new barrel cheaper than you can buy a used one and have it cut and re-crowned.  Plus, they know the answers to your forearm questions.  Plus, they support this forum.

[luckydawg13]

I bet MGM can build you a new barrel cheaper than you can buy a used one and have it cut and re-crowned.  Plus, they know the answers to your forearm questions.  Plus, they support this forum.

+ #1 ON MGM as grip and forend Dave.D is the man specialty pistols had a lot of posts on there fourm about this good luck

[P.A. Myers]

I have a s14 that had blood etching at the muzzel. I had it shortened to 9 inch, so it will clear the beavertail forend. You will need a taller front sight blade as shorties tend to shoot high.

[Quarryman]

Thanks to all for the comments and advice. I'll definitely check MGM before making my move.

P.A. Myers, your shorty photo is just what I was hoping to see. The nine-inch barrel actually looks shorter than it is. Makes me wonder if I need anything shorter! As I said, I want something I can comfortably shoot offhand, with a one- or two-hand hold. Have you found the nine-incher to be manageable and accurate to shoot?  Where does one get "a taller front sight blade?"

[P.A. Myers]

A T/C barrel will look shorter than a revolver barrel, of course, because there is no action adding about two inchs in apparent length. T/C used to market a blade 'kit' of three or four blades of various sizes. You may want to call ED or T/C.

Shoots fine once I got the taller front sight blade. Lately I have been buying 6 1/2 barrels [45colt, 357, 22lr, 44mag]. They look like snubs but a 6 1/2 is not really short for a pistol. One of my shorties has a Winchester model 70 front sight.

[ihaveagun]

The comments I'm about to make comes from a 57 year old guy that is 250 pounds, has firewood stenghtened hands, has had a 44 mag Contender 10 incher since 1980 and is someone who really likes for something to happen when the primer is dented.

My 44 mag barrel has no scope and it really hurts with a full house load. I would think long and hard before shortening it, but I still would like to drop the hammer on a 6 incher just once.

Some men like to go where no man has been before. So have at it, have fun and it is gonna be interesting, I betcha.

[stubshaft]

I cut mine down to 6 1/8".   I used an old sight from a Herret "Super 14" barrel.  The only problem was that I had to raise the front sight blade.  Balance is suprisingly good and recoil is stout but years of shooting Sillywett have inured me to it.  It will bang out groups of 1 1/2" - 2" all day long at 25yds with a 265gr bullet ahead of 2400 or 296 powder.

[P.A. Myers]

I took another look at the pix I posted and the shortie is a 6 1/2 with a shortened beavertail [one screw]. Here is a pix of the 9 .

P.A.

[Quarryman]

Stubshaft, your shorty Contender is cool but lately I'm leaning toward more like an 8" barrel.  I think that will look a little more proportional and should fit an unmodified factory forend. Plus, it dawned on me that I need an 8-incher if I want to be equivalent to a 6" revolver barrel, give or take.

Anyways... the research continues. Thanks to all for their comments.

[stubshaft]

Quarryman - That is a factory forend it is unmodified.  Not trying to defend my choice of barrel length but without the B/C gap I probably see as much velocity as an 8" revolver.

Good luck with your conversion.  Please post pictures when it is done.